Hyderabad: Amidst the ongoing drive to demolish illegal structures built on lakes, ponds and other water bodies in Hyderabad, the BJP on Monday threw a challenge at Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to demolish the educational institutions allegedly built on the land of a lake by AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi.
BJP floor leader in Telangana Assembly A. Maheshwar Reddy asked if the Chief Minister dares to use bulldozers on the buildings constructed by Akbaruddin Owaisi allegedly on Salkam Cheruvu.
Alleging that the Congress government is unleashing its fury on common people in the name of Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Authority (HYDRA), the BJP leader asked the Chief Minister to take action against illegal constructions in the old city.
He alleged that for the last 20 years, lakes, ponds, and government lands in the old city were encroached on to construct buildings.
The BJP leader asked the Chief Minister to reveal if the government had petrol and diesel to send bulldozers to the old city.
Maheshwar Reddy said that if the government is sincere, it should release a white paper on the number of lakes in and around the city and the extent of encroachments on water
The BJP leader demanded that the government identify the alienated lands and demolish illegal structures. He said the government should reclaim those lands and fence them.
He claimed that 85 per cent of 30 lakes in Hyderabad were encroached. He wanted the government to spell out the deadline for demolishing 13,000 illegal structures.
Maheshwar Reddy demanded that the government provide powers and legal backing to HYDRA.
He also wanted the government to tell people as to when will it demolish BRS working president K. Rama Rao’s ‘leased’ farmhouse in Janwada village and other encroachments by BRS leaders. He asked the government to demolish the farmhouses of Congress leaders allegedly built on lakes and tanks.
Meanwhile, reacting to the demands to demolish the Fatima Owaisi school built by him, AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said he was ready to face bullets but his good work should not be destroyed.
Claiming that the institution is providing free education to 40,000 students, the Chandrayangutta MLA said some people who were jealous of his work were demanding demolition.
“If someone has enmity with me, come and finish me with swords and guns. But don’t try to destroy my good work,” said Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is the leader of AIMIM in the Telangana Assembly.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, who survived an assassination attempt in the past, made it clear that he would not show his back to the enemies.
HYDRA, a body constituted recently by the state government, has so far reclaimed 43 acres of land by demolishing illegal structures on lakes including the N-Convention Centre of actor Nagarjuna, buildings owned by AIMIM MLA Mohammed Mubeen and MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig on heritage lake Bum-Rukn-Ud-Dowla and the properties of former union minister and Congress leader Pallam Raju’s brother Pallam Anand (ORO sports), Kaveri Seeds owner and former member of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) G.V. Bhasker Rao and BJP leader Sunil Reddy, who contested as MLA candidate from Manthani constituency).
–IANS